RADIO
If you don't see top prospects and recent call-ups Cody Bellinger or Christian Arroyo on this list, there are two good reasons. Bellinger will be sent back down to Triple-A as soon as Joc Pederson is off the DL, so you won't get much more use out of him. Arroyo only qualifies at SS in Yahoo leagues at the moment, so you may find him in our waiver wire article for middle infielders instead. This week, we have some veterans to consider instead.
The corner infield positions traditionally offer power with the potential for high averages, so you may want to target players that can offer an advantage in those categories to bolster your team. In this piece, I'll identify Week 5 waiver wire targets for first base and third base who should be able to contribute in multiple categories, either as replacements or bench depth. These players are owned in 50% or less of Yahoo! leagues.
From here on out we'll also look at the names mentioned in last week’s post, noting which players have graduated off of the waiver wire (ownership higher than 50%), which are still recommended pickups, and which we are dropping off the list entirely.
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Week 5 Corner Infield (CI) Waiver Wire Targets
Yuli Guriel (1B/3B, HOU) 39% owned - I'm going to call a Mulligan on this one. Gurriel was on my Week 1 add list due to his history of success in the Cuban League and prime position in the Astros' talented lineup. He got off to a painfully slow start, accumulating three hits in his first 24 at-bats. Since then, he's raised his average to .342 and has an OPS of 1.038 this past week. The best part is he qualifies at both corner spots and still has little competition for his job as long as A.J. Reed keeps swinging and missing in the minors.
Martin Prado (3B, MIA) 8% owned - Just like last season, Prado continues to be undervalued. The everyday starter at third base and #2 hitter in the Marlins' lineup, Prado will always present a run-scoring threat in front of Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton. Prado started the season on the DL, resulting in a nearly non-existent ownership rate, but that should climb once the career .293 hitter gets rolling. Prado is putting together a modest seven-game hitting streak after driving in a run against the Pirates on Sunday afternoon.
Justin Bour (1B, MIA) 6% owned - Bour had a huge game on Sunday, driving in six runs with a homer, double, and two singles. One game alone shouldn't be the basis for spending FAAB money, but Bour had shown signs of warming up at the plate already with a six-game hitting streak a week ago. The Marlins square off against Tampa Bay, which doesn't have any shutdown pitchers in its rotation, so Bour could keep be worth streaming if you're in search of power.
Hernan Perez (2B/3B/OF, MIL) 40% owned - The playing time concerns aren't gone, as Perez is still fulfilling the super-utility role in Milwaukee. Even so, if he's going to be this productive four or five times a week, he could help out as a utility player on your roster. Perez started last week by launching a three-run homer off Amir Garrett on Monday and followed it up with another homer and three RBI the next day. Perez also chipped in two steals to accompany the two homers and is delivering a similar power-speed combo that he flashed last year. If Orlando Arcia keeps struggling offensively, Perez could see more time in the infield. He has the most upside of all these corner targets, due to the SB potential, so he is worth a bench spot at all times.
Graduated
N/A
Hold For Now
Josh Bell (1B, PIT) 27% owned - Bell has stayed hot, hitting a two-run homer and even stealing his first base in the majors on Sunday against the Marlins. He's got three homers in the last week alone and is quickly dismissing doubts about his power stroke in the majors. Bell is probably still underowned at this point, although he isn't quite worthy of being a starter at 1B spots in 12-team leagues. Snatch him up in deeper leagues and put him in your corner or utility spot.
Gerardo Parra (1B/OF, COL) 19% owned - His average hasn't been great, but he's scored five runs and driven in five this past week. The Rockies will be in San Diego the next three days, but return home against the D-backs in the middle of the week.
Cut Bait
Daniel Vogelbach (1B, SEA) 2% owned - A bit of competition seems to have motivated Danny Valencia, who has four hits in his last 10 AB. Vogelbach hasn't done much to claim the job at first base either, collecting two hits in his first 14 at-bats with one RBI and no other counting stats to speak of. He could always pull an Alex Bregman and catch fire over time, but it's not clear whether he'll get the chance to stick around that long. Monitor in AL-only leauges, but ignore elsewhere unless he suddenly goes on a tear.
